Sullivan Standoff Forces Evacuation; Suspect Taken into Custody
(Bridgeport) Reports of shots fired in the area of Lakeshore View Drive in Sullivan were called into the Madison County 911 center at approximately 3:15 a.m. Sunday July 14. Madison County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area, along with units from Chittenango Police and the state police.
After initial interviews with the reporting parties, a safety perimeter was established around the immediate area of the suspect’s residence, located at 9378 Lakeshore View Drive South. Additional units from the Sheriff’s Office, including the Sheriff’s Special Operations Unit team were called to the scene.
The incident began with a verbal dispute when the suspect, Brandon L. Rudy, 24, arrived at a neighboring residence in an intoxicated state. Rudy was escorted back home by some of those neighbors due to his intoxication; Rudy threatened them.
When the neighbors were returning to their residence, they heard multiple shots being fired from Rudy’s residence area. According to Madison County Sheriff Allen Riley, Rudy apparently discharged the rounds from a weapon while standing outside his home.
Other neighbors confirmed hearing the shots being fired.
Sheriff Allen Riley stated that members of the SOU assisted in the safe evacuation of residents from the areas surrounding Lakeshore View Drive South, including Woods Road and Damon Point Road. Roads in the area were closed, and neighborhood residents farther away from the scene were asked to stay in their homes.
Multiple attempts to make contact with Rudy were made, including having a relative attempt to communicate with him over a public address system from the SOU vehicle. Those attempts were unsuccessful.
The SOU team deployed CS powder, a form of tear gas, into Rudy’s residence shortly after 10 a.m. At that time, Rudy made contact with team members who were outside his home and was taken into custody; however, he was combative during the process.
Rudy was arraigned in Sullivan Town Court Sunday afternoon on charges of reckless endangerment and illegal discharge of a firearm. He was released after posting bail, which was set at $1,000. He will return to court at a later date to answer his charges.
Units from the state police, Chittenango Police, Bridgeport Fire Department, Rural Metro Ambulance Service and EAVES Ambulance assisted during this incident.
Man Dies in Eaton One-Car Collision
(Eaton) Madison County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the scene of a vehicle accident that occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, at the intersection of State Route 46 and Canal Road in Eaton.
The vehicle was spotted by a passerby in a group of trees and then reported to the Madison County 911 Center.
The investigation is ongoing, but what is known at this time is that a male driver in his mid-50s was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Preliminary scene investigation determined that the vehicle was heading in a westerly direction on Canal Road, crossed State Route 46, and entered an area of trees, coming to rest about 60 feet off the road.
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene by Eaton Fire/Rescue and was transported to the Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office in Syracuse for autopsy.
The victim has not been positively identified, but based on documents found at the scene, was from the Philadelphia, Pa., area. In addition to deputies and Eaton Fire/Rescue personnel, the Madison County Coroner and Sheriff Allen Riley responded to the scene.
A final update will be issued when the investigation is complete and the victim is positively identified.
Independence Party Petitions Forged
(Wampsville) As previously reported in November 2012, an investigation took place and was completed regarding allegations of forged petitions involving Independence Party candidates. A special prosecutor was subsequently named to the case, attorney Sheila K. Ben of Manlius.
Friday morning, Brian E. Karst, 41, of Oneida, was arrested by sheriff’s investigators at the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. He was charged with four counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, class D felonies; one count of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, a class E felony; three counts of making a punishable false written statement, class A misdemeanors and three counts of misconduct in relation to petitions, unclassified misdemeanors.
Last year, petitions were filed by the Madison County Independence Party to place the names of Assemblyman Bill Magee, Madison County District Attorney William Gabor and Helen Acker, who was running for Oneida City Common Council Ward 4, on the Independence Party line in the Nov. 6 election. The signatures on these petitions were collected during the month of July 2012.
In September 2012, several local residents came forward to file police reports that their signatures had been forged on the petition. As a result, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation into the matter. Several people were interviewed, and more residents were located who identified their signatures as being forged.
Over the course of the investigation, Karst was identified as a suspect. It is alleged that Karst witnessed and possessed forged petitions for candidates seeking designation by the Madison County Independence Party. It is also alleged that Karst, knowing the petitions contained false statements or information, filed them with the Board of Elections in Wampsville.
After being arrested, Karst was brought to Madison County Court, where he pleaded guilty to one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument, a class D felony; and one count of making a punishable false written statement, a class A misdemeanor, and was sentenced to a term of 60 days in jail to be served on weekends, five years’ probation, a $5,000 fine, resignation from his Independence Party position with a five-year ban and not to seek relief from civil disabilities (even if eligible).
Karst appeared before the Honorable John F. Lambert, Otsego County Court Judge and Acting County Court Judge for the County of Madison.
“At no time were candidates whose names appeared on the forged petitions aware of the actions of Karst,” said Ben. “I commend Sheriff Riley and the investigators on this case for their thorough investigation of the case that made these results possible.”
All questions involving this case shall be referred to Sheila K. Ben.